Become Like a Little Child

1
Become Like a Little Child

• www.kevinhinckley.com

2
The Old Farmer

• Two missionaries recently came upon a
  
  farmer working in his field. Being
  
  concerned about the farmer's soul one
  
  Elder asked the man, "Are you laboring
  
  in the vineyard of the Lord my
  good man?"
• Not even looking at the missionaries and
  
  continuing his work the farmer replied,
  
  "Naw, these are soybeans."
• "You don't understand," said the Elder.
  
  "Are you a Christian?"
• With the same amount of interest as his previous
  answer the farmer said, "Nope my name is Jones.
  You must be lookin for Jim Christian. He lives a
  mile south of here."
• The missionary tried again asking the farmer,
  "Are you lost?"
• "Naw! I've lived here all my life," answered the
  farmer.
• "Are you prepared for the resurrection?" the
  frustrated Elder asked.
• This caught the farmer's attention and he asked,
  "When's it gonna be?"
• Thinking he had accomplished something the young
  Elder replied, "It could be today, tomorrow, or
  the next day."
• Taking a handkerchief from his back pocket and
  wiping his brow, the farmer remarked, "Well,
  don't mention it to my wife. She don't get out
  much and she'll wanna go all three days."

3
King Benjamin

• My brethren, all ye that have assembled
  yourselves togetherI have not commanded
  you to come up hither to trifle with the words
  which I shall speak,
• But that you should hearken unto me, and open
  your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that
  ye may understand, and your minds
• that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your
  view.
• Mosiah 29

Question What are these mysteries of God he
was going to reveal?
4
David B. Haight

• During those days of unconsciousness I was
  given, by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost,
  a more perfect knowledge of His mission.
• I was also given a more complete understanding of
  what it means to exercise, in His name, the
  authority of unlock the mysteries of the kingdom
  of heaven for the salvation of all the faithful.
• Ensign, Nov 1989,
  p. 60

5
Catherine ThomasBYU Professor

• Benjamin, as a prophet, seer, revelator, king and
  priest, held the keys of power and blessing for
  his community.
• A priesthood holders office is to 1) sanctify
  himself and 2) stand as an advocate before God
  seeking blessings for his community, in the
  manner of Jesus Christ himself
• For any Melchizedek
  Priesthood holder to
  become
  a prince of peace,
  he must, in some degree,
  wrest
  his kingdom, great or
  small, from the adversary
  and
  halt the plans of the
  destroyer on behalf of his
  loved
  ones.
• (King Benjamins Speech made simple, p. 205)

Listen to him who is the advocate with the
Father, who is pleading your cause before
him Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren
that believe on my name, that they may come unto
me and have everlasting life (DC 453-5)
6
Where did they learn the mysteries?

• Nephi
• the angel spake unto meand I saw that the
  Redeemer was lifted up upon the cross and
  slain for the sins of the world. (1 Nephi
  1132,33)
• King Benjamin
• I shall tell you the things made known
  unto me by an angel of Godthat the Lord
  Omnipotent shall dwell in a tabernacle of
  clayand he shall be called Jesus Christ
  (Mosiah 32)
• Jacob
• In the last night, the angel spake unto me
  that..Christ should be his nameand they should
  crucify him (2 Nephi 103)
• Alma
• the spirit hath said this to mehe shall be
  born of Mary, at Jerusalemand he will take upon
  him death. (Alma 710,12)
• Samuel
• the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall suffer many
  things and shall be slain for his people, and
  behold, an angel of the Lord hath declared it
  unto me. (Helaman 137)

7
The Mysteries of Heaven-Mosiah 4

• I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge
  of the goodness of God,
• and his matchless power,
• and his wisdom,
• and his patience, and his long-suffering
  towards the children of men
• and also, the atonement which has been prepared
  from the foundation of the world, that thereby
  salvation might come to him
• 1) that should put his trust in the Lord,
• 2) and should be diligent in keeping his
  commandments,
• 3) and continue in the faith even unto the end
  of his life
• 7 I say, that this is the man who receiveth
  salvation,
• 8.And this is the means whereby salvation
  cometh.
• 9 Believe in God believe that he is, and that
  he created all things, both in heaven and in
  earth
• believe that he has all wisdom,
• and all power, both in heaven and in earth
• believe that man doth not comprehend all the
  things which the Lord can comprehend.
• 10 And again, believe that ye must repent of
  your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves
  before God and ask in sincerity of heart that
  he would forgive you and now, if you believe all
  these things see that ye do them.

8
Most familiar verse

• 19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and
  has been from the fall of Adam, and will be,
  forever and ever,
• unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy
  Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and
  becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ
  the Lord, and becometh as a child,
• submissive,
• meek,
• humble,
• patient,
• full of love,
• willing to submit to all things which the Lord
  seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child
  doth submit to his father.

9
Elder Bruce Hafen
1- Dependence (premortal)
1- Complete Dependence
2- Learn and Grow
2- Learn to obey
3- Independence
3- Independence (Sin)
4- Submit as a child
10
President Eyring

• Like you, I have felt what King Benjamin
  meant when he said that we could become like a
  little child before God. I have prayed, as you
  have, to know what to do when choices that I
  faced would have eternal consequences. Over
  many years I have seen a recurring pattern in the
  times when the answers to such a prayer have
  come most clearly.
• Once, for instance, I prayed through the night to
  know what I was to choose to do in the morning. I
  knew that no other choice could have had a
  greater effect on the lives of others and on my
  own. I knew what choice looked most comfortable
  to me. I knew what outcome I wanted. But I could
  not see the future. I could not see which choice
  would lead to which outcome. So the risk of being
  wrong seemed too great to me.
• I prayed, but for hours there seemed to be no
  answer. Just before dawn, a feeling came over me.
  More than at any time since I had been a child, I
  felt like one. My heart and my mind seemed to
  grow very quiet. There was a peace in that inner
  stillness.
• Somewhat to my surprise, I found myself praying,
  Heavenly Father, it doesnt matter what I want.
  I dont care anymore what I want. I only want
  that Thy will be done. That is all that I want.
  Please tell me what to do.
• In that moment I felt as quiet inside as I had
  ever felt. And the message came, and I was sure
  who it was from. It was clear what I was to do. I
  received no promise of the outcome. There was
  only the assurance that I was a child who had
  been told what path led to whatever He wanted for
  me.

11
Final Word of Warning

• A dangerous frame of mind was
  reflected in the experience of two
  brothers, ages seven and nine. The
  seven-year-old was apprehended by his
  father while carrying a small amount of money
  he had taken without permission.
• The father sat down with his boy for a solemn
  talk about stealing. After listening patiently
  for a few minutes, the little boy said
  innocently, "But, dad, Alan (his nine-year-old
  brother) says it's okay to steal things until
  you're eight!" The father then asked Alan, the
  young theologian, why he would tell his little
  brother it was all right to steal things until
  he's eight.
• Said the nine-year-old with confidence, "That's
  what I told him, and it's right. When he's eight,
  he'll be baptized and all his sins will be washed
  away. So I saylive it up!"
• 
  Bruce C. Hafen, Broken Heart Applying the
  Atonement to Life's Experiences, 109-123.